Chapter 302: The Emperor Who Was Mocked
"No, it's not like that…"
Joseph suddenly realized he had made a mistake—he was thinking like someone from the future, where at 15, no one expects to be concerned with marriage. But in the 18th century, 15 was already dangerously close to being considered an older bachelor!
Queen Marie frowned even more deeply:
"Dear, you're already 15. Your grandfather and great-grandfather were both married at your age." She glanced at Louis XVI beside her. "Your father married me when he was 16, and even that was a bit late. You shouldn't follow in his footsteps."
Louis XVI nodded in agreement.
Queen Marie took her son's hand, taking a deep breath, and spoke in as gentle a tone as she could manage:
"Dear, since you have no objections to Clementine, why not marry her soon? Once you have children, the people of France will feel more at ease."
"I…" Joseph felt completely cornered. He had carefully planned out strategies for all of Europe, even considering Africa and America, but he hadn't thought about planning his own marriage.
Who would rush to find a wife for a 15-year-old? He had barely started growing up! Besides, marrying too young isn't good for your health—that's common sense. Yes, his great-grandfather and grandfather married young, but one only lived to 64, and the other died at 36 in the prime of his life. Didn't anyone think there might be a reason for that?
And Clementine was his close relative. Was he really supposed to engage in an incestuous marriage in 18th-century France? She was only 12! In modern times, that would be considered a serious crime!
Seeing her son's silence, Queen Marie continued earnestly:
"Dear, if you're thinking about that girl, Perna… well, it's not impossible, but how can I put this? Her background is far too lowly… If you like her, you can certainly keep her by your side. But as for a formal marriage, I believe it must be with a princess, or at least the daughter of a prince."
Joseph almost choked on his own frustration. Why did his mother always bring up Dr. Perna…?
He forced himself to stay calm, thought for a moment, and decided to take the "lofty ambitions" approach:
"Mother, when it comes to love, my true love is France!
"As the Prince, I hope to see France stand at the pinnacle of Europe, under the witness of God!
"If I must marry, it has to be to a princess who can bring great support to France.
"And clearly, that country is not Austria."
Queen Marie looked surprised: "You think there's a country better suited than Austria?"
Joseph nodded: "You must have heard that Austria was just defeated by the Prussian and Dutch forces in the Southern Netherlands. If Austria loses the Southern Netherlands, its power will rapidly decline. It might even be overtaken by Prussia!"
"No, my brother will surely reclaim the Southern Netherlands," Queen Marie's voice grew louder, "I know him well; the Prussians won't scare him!"
A faint smile flickered in Joseph's eyes. "Father, Mother, perhaps we should wait until the war in the Southern Netherlands is over before considering an alliance with Austria?"
Louis XVI nodded thoughtfully, taking his wife's hand and saying softly, "Dear, Joseph has really grown up. He's already thinking about marriage from the perspective of the nation. Maybe we are rushing him a bit."
While his wife wasn't paying attention, he winked at Joseph and mouthed, "You can go now. I'll talk to her."
Joseph took advantage of his mother's momentary distraction to bow quickly and make a hasty exit from the Petit Trianon.
After a long silence, Queen Marie looked at her husband with a sigh: "You know those were just excuses."
Louis XVI smiled. "Our son is very smart. He must have his reasons. We should trust him."
"You're too indulgent with him," Queen Marie sighed. "Clementine is so pretty and sweet; why doesn't Joseph like her?"
Louis XVI kissed his wife's hand, unusually charming in his reply: "With such a beautiful mother, his standards for beauty must be very high."
"Oh, stop it!" Queen Marie giggled, but then her expression turned serious again. "But he's not that young anymore. We must decide on a bride for him before the end of next year."
"All right," Louis XVI agreed, "I'll have a serious talk with him."
...
Eastern France.
Troyes Province.
A regiment of soldiers in crisp uniforms, each collar adorned with a golden fleur-de-lis, carrying brand-new August-style percussion cap rifles, marched in a neat column, heading briskly toward the outskirts of the town.
They were on their way to demonstrate the "standard of assessment" to the famous Champagne Corps. They had performed this task many times before, and every time, the units that witnessed their demonstration had their confidence utterly shattered.
After they left, any officer or soldier with ambition from those regiments would submit transfer requests to the General Staff, asking to join the Royal Guard, even if it meant serving as a mere orderly.
In the middle of the column, a few soldiers glanced at the young officers on horseback ahead of them and began to whisper among themselves.
"Hey, that captain is new, right? Anyone know him?"
"I heard he got in through General Berthier's connections and was transferred to the Guard," said a tall, scruffy soldier. "His name is something like Napo… some strange name."
"It's Napoleon. Napoleon Buonaparte," a middle-aged soldier behind them whispered. "He's Italian. But he didn't join the Guard through connections. I heard he did well in quelling a rebellion in the town of Amné."
"Haha." Two soldiers laughed. "You probably don't know that this officer who supposedly did so well in battle has never even passed the 5-kilometer run. He stayed behind in the barracks during the last few 'demonstrations.'"
"Well, he's Italian, so it's not surprising if he's a bit weak…"
"I also heard that this captain used to take sick leave a lot."
"So he's a sickly one, no wonder. Haha."
The young officer on horseback ahead could faintly hear the soldiers laughing and talking about him behind his back. Veins bulged on his forehead, and he gripped the reins so tightly that his hands turned white.
But he couldn't argue with them because that damn 5-kilometer run was just too hard.
At first, he couldn't believe that these soldiers could cover such a distance in 22 minutes, but the harsh reality proved him wrong—only three soldiers in the entire regiment failed to finish on time. And one of them had a slight fever, while the other had broken boots.
The worst part was that the Guard required all officers below the rank of major to complete the 5-kilometer run with the soldiers.
He silently vowed that during this "assessment demonstration," he would make those soldiers who mocked him shut up!
When had Napoleon ever lost to anyone? Those guys who looked down on him at the military academy were all eventually outshined by his excellent grades!
(End of chapter)
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